More

Rally Outside Capitol On 11th Day Of Shutdown

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) — It’s the 11th day of the state government shutdown and there are no new talks scheduled between Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican lawmakers. A lot of people say they need the shutdown to be over soon so they can get on with their lives.

On Monday morning, protesters lined the Minnesota Capitol steps urging the two sides to reach a deal.

Members of various Asian-American communities in the Twin Cities including Hmong, Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian took part in the rally. People showed their frustration with the budget stalemate, holding signs reading “Shame on you” and “MN shutdown equals epic fail.”

Community leaders say Asian communities are among the poorest in the state and are being hardest hit.

Zha Blong, a Hmong Community Leader and professor at the University of Minnesota is one of the organizers of the rally.

“We really want to call their attention to the suffering; that real people are actually suffering in real time so that they could actually get to work and really compromise for the people but not for the political party,” said Blong.

Blong also said the shutdown is having a huge impact on non-profits and that agencies have to scale back by cutting hours.

I’m not sure any 14 year old wants to have babies. (Or at least no 14 year old without severe emotional issues.) Most 14 year olds have babies due to lack of knowledge about sex-education and how to effectively prevent pregnancy. Teach them to avoid the problem in the first place, and we’ll have lots less teenage mothers… and thus far fewer children raised in poverty.

Simply saying “don’t have sex” is not effective, as we see over and over again.

Know any 14 year olds who don’t think they’re invincible and bad things never happen to them?

There’s a lot of bad information out there. Teens may know that sex causes pregnancy, but they might not know effective ways to prevent it. It’s likely they take risks, and get into trouble as a result.

I say name calling makes a good argument that much better. Care to prove me wrong? Exactly, you cant, you just stated your opinion on a subject. You added no value or relavant information to the discussion at hand. Congrats!!

Agreed. Just goes to show you can’t elect a millionaire as a democratic representative for the working people because he’s never been a working person! The fact that he is the reason many people can’t go to work to make their measly paycheck when they’re living paycheck to paycheck to begin with shows that he has no idea how most state workers, or average Minnesotans, live.

lets not just play the blame game on dayton, republicans have done nothing to help this issue one bit! republicans want dayton to pass a lights on special session so that government can go to work. but go to work on what? once dayton gives the go ahead on the special session he is done, the republicans are in charge and can drag this special session out as long as they want and not even do a thing about the budget but pass all of the dumb legislation that they want.

what most people dont know is that the republicans have been trying to force 3 things into the budget that really have nothing to do with the budget, these are: 1. restricting abortion rights; 2. mandatory voter registration id; 3 15% cut in state workers.

so is it right to force this down minnesotans throats but not have rich people pay their fair share since they only pay about 10% in tax??

My favorite part is how the unions are holding the state hostage by having dayton hold off for a 15% increase. Different departments of the state have taken down static websites so you can’t even read state regulations. WE DON’T NEED THE STATE! THEY NEED US! Crippling the economy over a 5% to 15% increase. So we can “tax the rich” and give to the poor. Dayton, you aren’t robin hood. Give your own money to the poor first.

Dayton is a millionaire. He has far more money than he needs. Not accepting a paycheck during this does not make him a saint. I thnk Randy is saying Dayton should give some of his millions to the poor.

i didn’t say he was a saint. nor did i imply as such. the fact that he is giving up income that most of us would not give up implies he’s actually working for minnesota. what makes you think he’s NOT giving some of his $ to the poor? apparently, he’s given some to the state by refusing his salary during the close down.

Which is exactly what the GOP is fighting against! Its called FAIR taxation…if you make over 1 mill….pay your fair share no matter what your title. Pound for pound…I pay a higher percentage of taxes than someone who clears that kind of income. Tired of getting raked and struggling…working fulltime and part time just to make a living as single head of household

Ok…i’m not Mary Rogers. But what is so hard to comprehend about her statement? Whether its true or not….who cares.

Lets use simple math for you Mauser. If she make 100,000 a year and pays 30,000 in taxes. She WOULD be paying higher percentage of taxes than someone who makes 1,000,000 a year and only pays 250,000 in taxes.

Was it that complicated to begin with? Yikes….and this illustrates why a minimal IQ test should be administered before some is granted the right to vote.

I’m not exactly sure where you’re getting a 30% income tax on someone making $100,000 and only a 25% income tax on someone making $1,000,000…

Last I checked (I just did actually), if Mary is a single head of a household and making $100,000, she would be paying 7.05% in state income taxes, and would be in the 25% federal bracket. If she were making $1,000,000, she would be paying 7.85% in state income taxes and would be in the 35% federal bracket. If my math is correct, I believe that equates to a higher percentage if she was making $1,000,000.

Not jealous. I have worked very hard for 30 years and live a modest life that I am very happy with. I am thinking beyond myself though for those people who are fighting just to afford a hot meal for a day. Proportion. Bet the millionaires have no clue what it feels like to go hungry in this country but we have people in our state right this very minute who are. I give additional donations annually for causes such as hunger..how about you, JMJ? And by the way, I work full time and part time just to make ends meet…if I make more, I end up paying more percentage into taxes. I do not have tax shelters that I can hide behind. I pay all my bills and don’t use credit. Combined, I send approx 35% of my hard earned dollar out of every check to taxes of all kinds – Fed, State, SS, FICA, etc. THEN…add insult to injury, I end up owing to both State and Federal when all is said and done…and I claim ZERO on my taxes. I will not share the exact income level but you can darn well bet that it is NOT even CLOSE to 100,000 LET ALONE 1 mill!!!! I pay more than my fair share and then some….I donate $$ and goods back to the MN community – I donate food goods to the foodshelves for MN communities…and YES JMJ – I have a college degree…and a technical degree….work in corporate america….and have been gainfully employed for the better of 30 years…sometimes working 3 jobs.

First, your “Whether its true or not….who cares?” comment dumbfounds me. Who cares? WHO CARES!? Well, when you’re debating, the truth does unfortunately matter. You must have gone to a public university because that is the only place where you could acquire such a ridiculous view like that.

Second, I must congratulate you – you understand how percentages work! However, you obviously don’t know anything about our progressive tax rates since your example tax rates come from liberal la-la land where you ride around on unicorns all day and worship Gaia. Your tax example is completely false. With our current tax structure, it is IMPOSSIBLE for a poorer person to pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes unless the richer person cheats on their taxes like Obama does. Did you know he actually pays $0 in income taxes?

Third, was my comment about Obama being a tax cheat true? It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not….. who cares? If he makes $10 billion a year and pays $0 in taxes because he cheats on them and I make $10 a year and pay $20 in taxes (gasp!), then I WOULD be paying a higher percentage (200% > 0%). You might want to re-read that. Now re-read that again…. Okay, one more time, nice and slow…. Do you still think the truth doesn’t matter?

Fourth, please learn how to use correct grammar and spelling. Have you ever heard of contractions? They are quite handy. You should try using one, so you don’t sound dumber than you already are.

Fifth, don’t mock people’s references when you don’t even include any.

Sixth, I do happen to agree that IQ tests should be administered before one can vote. That would ensure people like you stay home on Tuesdays.

Seventh, you may want to re-read this entire post again (I apologize for using the same joke, but I just couldn’t help myself).

P.S. Mary Rogers seems like a nice lady, so I will not mock and ridicule her. However, since you were quite disrespectful and ignorant with your posts, you deserve a dose of your own medicine.

P.S.S. I expect you to report this comment in order to silence me rather than reply since you don’t have this pesky thing called “truth” on your side. Or you may reply and mock me as I did you. I would very much enjoy the latter.

Your life sounds exactly like mine. So doubt it if you pay more in taxes. My tax return was more than I payed out. Which does not make sense. You need to quit being jealouse of those who have more than you.

Not jealous. I have worked very hard for 30 years and live a modest life that I am very happy with. I am thinking beyond myself though for those people who are fighting just to afford a hot meal for a day. Proportion. Bet the millionaires have no clue what it feels like to go hungry in this country but we have people in our state right this very minute who are. I give additional donations annually for causes such as hunger..how about you, JMJ?

Most of the republicans are accepting their salary, facts are they are doing their jobs and mark dayton is not. Also being a millionaire, he doesn’t need the money like state senators and representatives who are living the lives that they preach, once again unlike dayton.

What facts do I have that Unions are holding MN hostage? Republicans have compromised from 5% cut to 5% increase. Dayton has held the line for “his” state workers that contribute to his campaign at 15%. GOP moves up 10%, Dayton moves down 10%…. Compromise at 5% increase? Nope, that’s not enough money for the State Unions, and “it’s going to hurt the republicans in the next election”

republicans are NOT doing thier jobs. They wasted everyones time putting out bills against the gay population and others. They are trying to keep thier jobs by making dare sure the filthy rich in this state do no need to pay the tax rate the rest of us are. Dayton is doing a great job. Someone is finally saying enough to those not paying their fair share. If I can live on what I do, they can live on what they will still have, more than likely 10 fould what I and my family have.

Lori,
Wow you liberals are amazing. It’s always me me me. The tax rates are progressive, meaning the more you make the more you pay. So they in fact are paying more than their fair share. “They can live on what they still have” That is the most selfish phrase I have ever heard. How much of someone else’s money do you feel you deserve?? Again the wealthy already pay more that the low earners, so what are you arguing?

Doing their jobs? REALLY? I don’t think so! They are in no way doing their jobs more than the Governor. Minnesota voted both ways. He is doing exactly what the voters asked for…..as are the legislators. They BOTH need to compromise. Politics is not about getting 100 percent of what you want! If that were the case, we would be a dictatorship! Also, if everyone paid their share in the first place……we wouldn’t have this issue. Stop pointing fingers and blaming like a juvenile. Face the facts that are staring this state in the face. We can’t have it all. The reason nothing is happening…..is because those at the capital are responding just like you. People are getting hurt. To say that Dayton hasn’t compromised is a flat out lie. Quit trying to glorify your stance, again by blaming….rather than recognizing that EVERYONE needs to accept responsibilty. Seriously? “Senators and representatives who are living the lives they preach….” Wow……is that why mine won’t answer a single question that his voters ask or why he goes to the air and talks to the newspaper with blame and juvenile remarks, rather than showing some empathy and offering HELPFUL solutions to this disasterous problem? MY legislator is NOT doing his job ANY BETTER than the Governor!

He said he wasn’t going to take a salary when he became Gov. but decided he needed it. I wonder why that is. Like he really needs a salary. This whole system is nothing but a scam has been and always will be.

This is a non-issue for the majority of Minnesota No protests of any size. No large scale strikes. No major disruptions. I think this should last until the Governor quits. The legislature did it’s job…the Governor failed to do his and sign the bill.

We all need to remember there are 3 branches of government, so that no one branch can become too powerful. The legislature has the ability to pass the budget without the governers apporval with a 2/3’s majority after it has been vetoed. Cearly it isn’t that popular and Dayton is exercising his power of veto to project the consituants he represents. That is why we have the separation of powers.

Regardless of what your background or ethnicity is, maybe standing on your own two feet would be good. I wonder how many in the Asian community or any other “community” for that matter have called Dayton to tell him to sign the budget. You have to call because the contact form on the Govenor’s website only sends back some reply about how the state is shut down.
No need for this shutdown but if a 6% increase in the budget isn’t enough, leave it shut down.

MAJ, the number of people looking for free handouts is much smaller than the GOP would have you believe. The fact of the matter is that people WANT to pull their weight, but simply can’t. You’re talking (specifically in the Hmong community) about people the US government and churches (many of whom were GOP/conservatives) brought in as refugees following their assistance to us in the Vietnam war. The older Hmong generations couldn’t speak English and had few if any job skills, which was a huge barrier to them getting employment in the US. In addition, their lack of money put their kids at a HUGE disadvantage against their peers in school.

I don’t know what you think the small percentage of people is, but between MNcare, Food Stamps, Cash Assistance, Rental Assistance, Utilities Assistance, all of these non-profits. It is a large amount of people on these programs. Over 50% of Minnesotans are on programs of one type or another and pay no federal taxes. And if there isn’t that much demand how come 40% of the Minnesota budget goes to health and human services? That’s over 15 Billion dollars!

At its highest level of enrollment in 2003, with a monthly average of 151,000 enrollees and a state population of 5 million, just over 3% of Minnesotans were enrolled in MNCare. That is nowhere near 50%.

All told, in 2009 about 200,000 Minnesotans were enrolled in some for of “welfare” program. Again, that is only 4% of the total Minnesota population. Again, NOWHERE NEAR 50%

It is true that 47% of Americans didn’t pay federal income taxes in 2010, however, there are no statistics showing how many of these people were millionaires and billionaires who were able to write-off capital losses to avoid paying taxes.

If you pulled in $25 million in income in 2010 and your bad investment strategy in the stock market cost you, say $10 million, you could write that loss off and pay $0 in taxes. Oh how wonderful life is!

I am not saying they are all on the same program, I am saying that 50% possibly up to 55% receive some sort of assistance from a massive variety of programs. Many programs like Housing assistance and Utility assistance get overlooked but are used by a large populace.
Brian maybe you can tell me this, WHERE IS THAT 15 BILLION DOLLARS? It says it goes to Health and Human Services. That’s not education, roads, zoos or state parks. That’s roughly $3000 per person in Minnesota that goes to “Health and Human Services” Justify that cost before you want to increase it another dime.

About 8.7 billion for medical assistance for the aged and disables, medicaid, .5 billion for the sex offenders, about .4 billion for the mentally ill, another .4 for general assistance and ga medical, .2 for MFIP, and lesser amounts for 13-14 other programs That was off the 12 billion proposed by the governor

Where do you get your statistics from?Per mnbudget.com there are these Mfip serves about 100000, there are about 130,000 receiving medical assistance, about 1000 in the sex offender program and about 300000 on other smaller assistance programs. With a state population of over 5 million that is less than 1 in 5. So perhaps you should look into your sources a little better.

The previous person asked a question I answered it. Yes it counts for 1/3 of the budget. Bottom line. Sick people cost money. What would you do to lessen the costs? You have no answer, you just complain.

Dude, you need to go to http://www.mmb.state.mn.us/citizen-budget and look at some pie charts and see how this state really spends its money. It spends over a 1/3 of its ENTIRE budget on HHS. A.K.A. welfare, public services and healthcare.

And this is Generation after Generation after Generation……………..etc. etc. etc. Didn’t you read the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Sunday? It outlined in plain black and white the budget and where the money goes!!! And it’s growing exponentially!!!!!!

At its highest level of enrollment in 2003, with a monthly average of 151,000 enrollees and a state population of 5 million, just over 3% of Minnesotans were enrolled in MNCare.

All told, in 2009 about 200,000 Minnesotans were enrolled in some form of welfare program. Again, that is only 4% of the total Minnesota population. Again, nowhere near 50%.

It is true that 47% of Americans didn’t pay federal income taxes in 2010, however, there are no statistics showing this breakdown by income level. For instance, if you pulled in $15 million in income in 2010 and your bad investment strategy in the stock market cost you, say $10 million, you could write part of that loss off on your taxes and end-up paying $0 in taxes.

It is sad to see that so many assumptions are going on these types of boards…not everyone who receives assistance chooses to be there. Get ready MN/America – our baby boomer generation is in the throws of retiring in droves. How do you suppose they will support themselves as SS dwindles? No increase for several years and none insight – rather more proposed cuts?
Have you watched a parent live on a mere pitance? When do we get back to taking care of our own then? Are you going to support your aging parents – take them into your house hold if you haven’t already..paid their climbing medical costs…etc? Many of the people receiving assistance are also very capable employable people who WANT to work but have been unable to find viable employment to meet their budgetary requirements. You are aware that when someone goes to work…that amount is typically deducted from any assitance but may not even come close to bringing in enough to pay the bills? So it’s catch 22 (say someone who is degreed chooses to go flip burgers)
If you have never lived that way….having to go without meals…warmth….clothing…security….please take a step back and not assume that everyone who is receiving a helping hand is lazy or undeserving!

@ weird argument – and having been laid off in the recession and unable to find gainful employment to live from….if they choose to NOT take assistance….what would YOU choose? Where would you live? How would you eat? How would you go to the doctor if you became ill…or you spouse/child became ill? Who do you have that will do all this for you when you become disabled or unemployed? something to ponder

I don’t need to ponder it. I was laid off 3 years ago, because I lived on less than I made I could pay rent and eat and COBRA it out for 6 weeks before I found a job. Want to know how I found a job so fast? You see, instead of sitting around and complaining that there are no jobs, I went from business to business (actually drove my car to companies and went inside…not send a resume online to be lost with 1,000 other people). Turns out I had more offers than I needed.

If I became disabled, I would take advantage of the disability and dismemberment policy I took out for myself and be set.

Would I like a spouse and child, yes. Can I afford these things? No, so therefore I don’t get them.

Mary, it’s called responsibility and self-dignity. You have to be able to care for yourself no matter what and not mooch from others. If you choose to have a family, then you need to be able to care for them and yourself without mooching from others.

Bobby, ,they privatized a good part of the state hospital system, so now you have hundreds of privately owned group homes, each one has a bigshot runing things making over 100,000 a year, if you have state hospitals your not paying for profit, the privatization is bleeding us dry because we are paying thier profits plus normal overhead now you know why its 40 percent of the state budget.

So with fewer state hospital beds patients have a longer wait in the community hospital. As the reimbursement is by DRG that leads to hospitals having to charge as much as they can for other services driving up insurance costs.

If you are referring to the next post labeled “fact” Developmentally disabled and the mentally ill are two completely separate populations. Two separate budgets. What fact talks about below are healthy functioning people and what I am talking about are the ones at their sickest. If you can not make that distinction there is no hope of having a rational discussion.

If you are referring to the comment made by fact below then you need to understand there is a large difference between the developmentally disabled and the mentally ill. There is a large difference between day to day living and taking care of an acute medical condition. As it is you may be referring to nothing at all. That is not uncommon for people on this board who comment on what they know nothing about

The MN GOP is beholden to A.L.E.C and their agenda for the whole country. They really do not care what happends to the people of this state, or the small business, or to the government of the cities..
Some think they are following the orders of Tony Sutton but he is just a member like then are. I
If your Rep is a GOP, then call and ask them if they are a member of A.L.E.C. They you will know who they truely are serving.
The end goal is for the government to collaspe and for the private comanies provide services at their prices.
If you can’t make it to the rallies, then maybe you can make it to their sidewalks and protest with a bunch of friends in front of their homes.

Still think they are using this shut down as a way of saving money by not paying public employees. Divide the median salary of $47k by 52 weeks. That is a lot of money that the state doesn’t have to pay out. And I do believe that unemployment, if it even gets that far, is a Federal program. Correct me if I am wrong.

And yet let the welfare and public services continue to flow and grow!!! That is right! Disabled people cannot protest and cause riots. People who run our state and interpret the law are COWARDS!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m betting each and every liberal poster here is on the dole in some way. The simple fact is it is really difficult to live a conservative lifestyle and to govern in a conservative manner. Living and governing in a liberal fashion is the easy way out and the low road. Of course you will keep posting and attempting to make the GOP look bad by simply being responsible with spending or as close to responsible as we’re gonna get. I make it a habbit to surround myself with responsible people and not a one has been affected in any way. Maybe it is time to take a good, long look at how you live if the welfare line is closed and you are this seriously affected. I am really hoping we can turn the country around to when it was not acceptable to be a loser or have an entitled mentality.

Ok, what do we do with the people in the nursing homes, the disables and elderly receiving assistance in their homes? That is where the majority of the money of HHS budget goes. Smoking is down, obesity is up. How are you going to fix that problem. Before you say it is the obese person’s problem remember that health care can’t turn people away from the ER. Eventually it is some body’s problem.

You have to draw a line in the sand at some point. People need to plan for end of life care in whatever way they choose whether that be a fancy retirement plan or simply a savings account. And where are their families? The American family is broken, no one takes care of their own anymore because they don’t have to, the government does.

Never said anything about that. But if you cut the some of the government programs it will force people to care for their own and maybe think twice before creating broken family ties and homes. Not even 50 years ago it was shameful to accept government assistance, and back then those who took it actually needed it. But it’s gotten so far out of hand, America thinks that once you have a government program you can never cut it. But some government programs encourage sloth, poor planning, and outright entitlement. That’s not really living! You can’t take any pride in yourself if you just take take take from others who had no choice about “giving” it.

Let’s take a population we can’t pick on (or if you’re above a 1st grade level—shan’t). Developmentally disabled folks. They get a social security check (federal) that goes straight to their room and board, usually around $500 included is $100 for their monthly spending needs. The state kicks in another $200 monthly if they live outside the family home mandated to be used on monthly food. So, we are looking at $800/mo to pay for everything (place to live, utilities, medication co-pays, food, and personal needs). Some have jobs where they can make a few bucks but doesn’t meet the mark to be sustainable by any means so—discard. Yes, they do pay taxes on the money they earn. Mind you, they aren’t allowed to have assets above a $2000 or their benefits are cut. Then the big expense comes in, cost of care. A PCA, or group home gets paid to maintain their safety and quality of life etc. Depends on how high the needs are but for this example let’s use a standard of $90/day paid thru state/federal streams. I can hear the calculators now. But that $90 a day has to pay for the employee (24 hours of care in most cases), personal/professional liability insurance (among other typical insurances), payroll taxes, health insurance if you’re lucky, etc. Now, this sector I speak of has seen a 5-7% decrease over the past 5 years. As living costs go up, this funding has either decreased or ran stagnant, depending on any given year. My point: government assistance is minimal. Not wild and unruly. And, people have made it work.

Without income tax reform similar to the Eisenhower tax policies we will continue to transfer billions to heath insurance companies and workers, and have no taxes paid by the wealthy.–look at the income disparity in the US–worst in the 27 most prosperous nations and growing!

Brian, don’t forget our wonderfull prison inmates that have contributed so much to the social fabric of Mn. They are starving Mn. TAXPAYERS TO THE TUNE OF APPROX $80,000 per inmate per year. Add that to your stats plus the damage to people and property. And they are receiving better health care than most law abiding citizens.

If you are not insulted by this you are a MORON! This is what is WRONG with Minnesota! These people are entitled to welfare? Really? Asians are the poorest in the State? Really? Oh I dont know….if all these Asians were out WORKING instead of waiting for welfare and EBT cards….well….maybe they would not be the poorest community in Minnesota! Funny no Mexicans were there! They must be too busy working their arses off so they do not become lazy and poor like the Asians in MN! GOOD GOD! STOP THE WELFARE TRAIN!!!! STOP IMMIGRATION! IF YOU GIVE IT THEY WILL COME!!! I am sick of paying for immiigrants and their families….and their families family….If you want to….go for it…..you write the checks….I opt out…..

The Asian communities that where there where the families of soldiers who fought and some who died during our wars in Vietnam and Korea. Surly they deserve more respect then your ignorant uneducated comments. Most Asian people do not accept Welfare they work 2-3 jobs, have several generations in one household, they have developed many of the nonprofit organizations out there that help people become self-sufficient. They are waiting on business licenses, and other documents so they can run their business and go to work you ignorant moron. Just for the record white people are more likely to be on welfare than any one else so many be the white people can leave and go back to where they came from.

My parents came to the United States 30 years ago; they never learned English but worked hard each and every day to make sure their children were able to get an education. They were on welfare for less than 6 months before taking low-paying jobs. So before you go crying about your life, why not try to picture yoruself in their shoes! Wait, that might be too hard for an ignorant fool like yourself!

Touchy little glitter throwing immigrant……but hey what do I know I am an ignorant fool…(who speaks English)….Dear Mr. River…..tell your parents to learn English…this is America…we speak English here….also ask them to see what they can do about Asian gangs running around beating 80 year old women with cancer using baseball bats…..Since they dont speak English….you had better make their “We Are Asian….We Need Welfare” signs and get down to the protest…flippin moron….

America is the only country where one moves to and then demands that everyone cater to their native language. If you move to Germany, China, or anywhere else you are expected to learn the language and function.

Why isnt the “Asian Community” at the State Capital protesting for “JOBS”!!!!!! Why are they at the State Capital protesting for “WELFARE”??? Is anyone getting this?????? Are you kidding me????? Protesting for WELFARE to be turned back on? “A lot of people say they need the shutdown to be over soon so they can get on with their lives”….Really????? Back to their welfare freakin lives????? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??????

This isnt about immigration and the pro’s vs con’s ect. This is about common sense and right vs wrong.

Anyone who WANTS to return to their entitlement programs should be shot dead. PERIOD. Welfare is there for those who need it, not just want it. And when my grandfather took food stamps for 2 months from the state back in the 70’s, he was damn well ashamed and worked his arse off to get off of them as soon as possible.

Come-on the Somali community has a 90% unemployment rate even after being here for years and years.
Are you going to tell me they are here to better themselves and to work? They are here to get our tax dollars
and commit crimes etc. not much else.

Nope…is the Somalian, Nigerian, Mexican, Korean, Hmong, etc filth is what the whole problem…..well them and your mother for spitting your liberal arse out into the world….now go put your sippy cup down…..go get a job…….and help the rest of us pay for all these wefare ridden trash…

divide and conquer…the oldest strategy in the book and we took the bate hook-line-n-sinker.

The super rich have us middle class folks battling each other for the scraps they left us. We bicker about whether Dayton or the GOP are the ones letting us down. This is all a moot point you MORONS. Its like choosing between a douche and turd sandwich. As long as we keep our sites set on the decoys they throw around, we will never address the real issues and problems facing this country. It is so sad that the majority of this country reads at an 8th grade level and thus….cannot see the forrest through the trees.

they were voted by the people to do a job, and they are not doing it. They should not get payed and they should lose ALL benefits, just like the rest of the people of Minnesota, If they don’t tax the rich, then who should they tax the poor? The people of Minnesota should tell them to get back to work, or lose your Job. That is what they would tell the working people of minnesota if they did it..WHY would we want to ever vote them back into office!!!

Yes, they were voted by the people to do a job and they are doing it! They were voted into office to hold the line on spending and even though they have approved increases, it is not as much as Dayton wants. Wah, wah!! How about all those folks down at the capital protesting, get out lookin’ for work instead!

Greg,
Please see KM’s response it is right on the money. Look at the land slide vote earlier this year. Conservatives dominated all areas except the governorship. These legislators were voted in to stop the spending machine know as state budgeting. I dont see why it is so hard to realize that you cannot spend more than you take in. It would be like you going to your boss (with your liberal views you may not actually have a boss) asking for a raise year in and year out because you are spending more than he is paying you. The first couple years he may give you the raise, but after a while wouldn’t he maybe start to think, how much money does this guy need to spend?? This is the point we have reached. The taxpayer is sick of the open check book and wants massive spending cuts. The GOP offered a balanced budget with an 18% increase over last year. This was not enough for old crazy eyes Dayton. Stand fast GOP, stop the spending spree before it is completely unsustainable.

The solution to this mess is so easy to see; it’s like the saying “they can’t see the forest because the trees are in the way”. STOP all the free program handouts and fire about 10-15% of MN governemnt workers. You gooobers elected Dayton, so you deserve what you get. You got what you wanted – a rich spoiled airhead who has no idea of the concept of work.

Both the Democrats and the Republicans get and F for FAILING to do what they were elected to do is to run our Minnesota Institutions. They are getting paid by the State to do a job and yet they fail to do their jobs.

They are doing their jobs! The Republicans were voted in to stop the insanity! To stop budget increases! To cut the budget over 5+ billion dollars! The liberals got spanked in the biggest landslide in MN history! For the first time the Republicans have both houses! Dayton is pushing through the largest budget in MN history! Dayton is a Moron who barely won the election….He is a Union licking moron who loves spending everyones money…except his own….most of his money is locked up in South Dakota…..skipping the MN tax board…..Dayton needs to accept the will of the people which is STOPPING WELFARE! STOPPING IMMIGRATION! GETTING RID OF ILLEGALS! CUTTING THE BUDGET!!!

The Republican all-cuts budget is the wrong choice for Minnesota.
It protects the richest 2% and large corporations at the expense of everybody else…
Working Minnesotans: It will slash 30,000 public and private sector jobs when 200,000 Minnesotans are already unemployed.
The Middle Class: It will increase property taxes on homeowners, renters and small businesses by more than $1.4 billion over the next four years.
Safe Communities: It will reduce supervision for offenders on probation, and cut support for battered women and crime victims.
Students: It will slash public colleges and universities by $411 million when more students need an affordable education to succeed in a tough economy.
Seniors: It will hit seniors hard with higher property taxes, and slash their critical transit services and health care.
The Sick, Disabled and Vulnerable: It will take away health care from 140,000 Minnesotans and eliminate crisis support for 20,000 disabled adults in poverty.
Call your state legislators: 1-855-508-6472
Free call: just punch in your zip code to speak to your legislator. Tell them to tax the richest 2% to avoid a government shutdown and risky cuts to public services.

It’s time to stand up! An injury to one, is an injury to all.

Enough is enough. It’s time to Chop from the Top! http://www.USuncutMN.blogspot.com We will win!
You can’t run a government that doesn’t have enough revenue coming in.

Do you mean “non-essential” groups like the people that mail out tax refund checks when you paid to much, or do you mean “essential groups” like the ones that receive the tax money when the state is owed and for some reason zoo employees?

It doesn’t matter which state employees…the problem is a lot of them are now laid off. From a republican complaining about taxing the rich to a democrat wanting to give money away to the less fortunate; you are now impacting both sides of the argument. 22,000 unemployed will soon collect unemployment taking money away from those that need it and now there is less money going to small business. I hope the politicians get a clue soon.

Asian’s are not asking to collect welfare or any other government handout. The Asian community is one of the largest business community in Minnesota. They are hard hit because they are waiting on government documents to start and run their businesses. Many of them come from countries where this is not required and often takes them longer to learn the system. The largest recipients of welfare is the white community so maybe it is the white people who should go back to where they came from.

BC,
Why dont you list percentages, of course white people are going to have the most claims, there are 3 times more whites than any other race in MN. Go ahead and list the percentages. Prove your a non fact spouting liberal.

COME ON NOW THE BOTTEM LINE HERE IS REP STEP UP AND DO YOUR JOB SO PEOPLE CAN GO BACK TO WORK. ALL DAYTON WANTS IS TO RAISE TAXES ON THE RICH 2% ONLY I AM SURE THAT WILL NOT HURT THEM MUCH AT ALL ONLY 2%. YOU ARE JUST GREEDY OUT THERE LIKE 2% IS GOING TO HURT YOU I DO NOT THINK SO! ALSO HE WANTS TO RAISE TAXES ON CIGS WHO CARES MAYBE OR MAYBE NOT IT WILL HELP PEOPLE STOP SMOKING. SMOKING IS NOT HEALTHY ANYWAYS AGAIN COME ON REPS DO YOUR JOB SO PEOPLE CAN GET BACK TO WORK. DAYTON DO NOT BACK DOWN I AM BEHIND YOU 100%.

Poor Kim,
This post really say’s all that is needed to be said about liberals mind set, intelligence and grasp of issues. Congrats Kim, you are making these arguments WAY to easy. Please post more of your thoughts for all to enjoy.

@Answer. Wrong. This shows what is wrong with the CONservative mindset:
Taxes on cigarettes would hit the poor and middle class the hardest, as would sales taxes. Poor and middle Americans spend most of their income–not save–so they pay most of those taxes. The wealthy with a lot of discretionary income left after paying for their LOW taxes and life’s necessities, can save. The U.S. economy is a consumer economy. The poor and middle class are tapped out because of an erosion of real buying power because of stagnant to falling wages and lack of job growth over the last 30 years while the wealthy everywhere have seen their taxes lowered, their income skyrocket, and their savings increase. This is a recipe for disaster and now there is a money liquidity problem–a liquidity trap. A simplified version for you is that the wealthy are not spending–they are hoarding. And the poor and middle class are mostly spending on necessities or borrowing to keep afloat. Spending is maxed for them. Neither is good. If the feds cut social security, there will be a further erosion of spending by seniors. That sure won’t help the economy. Cutting Medicare will further erode seniors’ ability to pay for medical needs and will send them to Medicaid even more quickly. Taxes on the wealthy are at their 2nd lowest rate ever for the wealthy. The lowest taxes ever were right before the Great Depression, and the U.S. is headed that way again because of foolish emphasis on lowering deficits and not on stimulating the economy and creating jobs. We are seeing that the GOP and the right would rather protect their “masters” from a tax increase than be loyal to America and its workers. You see, the wealthy have already moved beyond being Minnesota or U.S. citizens are now world citizens–with allegiance and loyalty only to themselves and their wealth. The GOP and the right are being used to further the agenda of the wealthy and the multi-national corporations. Just a few facts that I don’t expect YOU, Answer, or any of the other CONservative apologists let get in the way
of your delusions.